rugrats

Before Spongebob Squarepants, Nickelodeon’s first big hit was Rugrats, a show about a gang of misbehaving babies going off and doing god-knows-what as they escape the clutches of parental supervision and delve into the giant sandbox that is the world outside their playpen. Its 172 episodes and 3 theatrical movies over a 13-year run was enough to garner multiple accolades, including Daytime Emmys, a Hollywood Star, dozens of merchandise. It did so well, in fact, that it even generated a spin-off series.